Greetings all - 
A birding tour class worked their way from Avon Lake Powerplant east to Eastlake yesterday, Sunday the 16th. 
Avon Lake was quiet when it came to gulls, but held a nice variety and number of waterfowl: Lesser Scaup, Canvasback, Redhead, Bufflehead, Hooded Merganser, American Black Duck, Common Goldeneye, Common Goldeneye, Canada Geese and a single CACKLING GOOSE. 
At Huntington Reservation a few very distant leads held plenty of large gulls and waterfowl (mostly Common Goldeneye). A single COMMON REDPOLL was heard flying over.
A stop at Lake Erie Nature and Science center turned up few birds at their feeders, but we did score a BARRED OWL in the nearby hemlocks. 
Wendy Park, on the west shore of downtown Cleveland, held a nice number of large gulls, with Great Black-backs in good supply. A single adult LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULL and a transient, bored adult Bald Eagle dropped in to create, of course, havoc. 
Burke Lakefront Airport was void of raptors. 
East 72nd street was in great shape for gulling, and we very quickly turned up a single gorgeous first-year ICELAND GULL and a first-year GLAUCOUS GULL, as well as another adult LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULL. Waterfowl in the close hotwaters included Gadwall, Northern Shoveler, Canvasback, and Lesser Scaup. Several hundred waterfowl in a far lead by the north breakwall included mostly Canvasback, Lesser Scaup, Mallards, and American Black Duck but the lead is quite distant. 
Eastlake Power Plant was in fantastic condition for gulls and waterfowl, with great numbers and diversity of diving ducks, including Canvasback, Redhead, Bufflehead, Common and Red-breasted Mergansers, Common Goldeneye, Lesser Scaup, and two female BLACK SCOTERS. Gulls were scattered but at least fifty (50) Bonaparte's were present, which is a good count in January. Belted Kingfisher and Great Blue Heron (2) were cool additions to the year list. 

The conditions for gulling at East 72nd and Eastlake continue to be excellent, but take notice (central and southern OH birders!) that diversity and numbers change DAILY. 
best of birding - Jen



Jen Brumfield 
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Cleveland, Ohio
330-701-6452



                                          
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